Combined ladder and scaffold.



No. 715,944. Patented Dec. l6, I902.

m. BAUER.

comamen LADDER Ann SCAFFOLD. (Application flled Ju 1y 213, 1902.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

m1. m y mi. F A. ."K

I PETERS 00 wow LITHO msm No. 7l5,944. Patented Dec. l6, I902.

M. BAUER.

' COMBINED LADDER AND SCAFFOLD.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Application filed July 26, 1902.)

(N0 Modal.) I ,24

UNITE STATES I-ATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN BAUER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COMBINED LADDER AND SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 715,944, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed July 26, 1902. Serial No. 117,112. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN BAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Ladder and Scaffold; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in a combined ladder and scaffold; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts,as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention in standing position and showing a portion of the building against which it rests as in use. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the invention in position corresponding in all particulars to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view on line .2 2, Figs. 1 and 2, showing the platform and its means of connection with the ladder. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of asection of the ladder and the frame for supporting the platform and showing the platform in a tilted and partly-disconnected position, as hereinafter fully described. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the means for attaching one of the bottom legs of the ladder, and Fig. 6 is a perspective elevation of a section of the ladder in which the said leg is adapted to be engaged. Fig. 7 is across-section of the ladder and an extension thereon below the bottom legs or braces, line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section of the ladder on line it M, Fig. 1, showing the upper brace-frame and the means of its connection with the ladder. Fig. 9 is a plain elevation of a section of the ladder and of the braceframe seen in plan, Fig. 8, and disclosing particularly the means for fixing the relative elevation of the said frame in respect to the inclination of the ladder. Fig. 10 is a crosssection of one side of the ladder looking down on line as 00, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is an elevation of a portion of the ladder, partly in section, and of the sliding platform-supporting frame and showing the means for locking the dogs which support the said frame on the ladder in their engaging position.

Fig. 12 is an inside elevation of a section of the ladder and a cross-section of the casing carrying one of the dogs and showing also a sectioned portion of the sliding frame in which the dogs are mounted. Fig. 13 is a cross-section on line Q) 1;, Fig. 12, with the dog engaged as in Fig. 12; and Fig. l lis a cross-section on line 10 10 above The idea of this invention is to provide a ladder A, having suitable rounds at, as usual, and of any suitable length, with a scafiolding or platform to be used by builders, masons, painters, and others, and which is made conveniently available for raising and lowering the scaffolding as may be needed by the person who himself occupies the scafiolding; and the invention comprises means whereby he can easily raise and lower himself and the scaffolding on which he stands, all as hereinafter fully described. Now, referring again to the drawings and having the ladder as shown, it is modified in construction as compared with an ordinary ladder in several particulars necessary to adapt it to my use, and these comprise a vertical channelor groove a on each side running lengthwise thereof on its outer side and adapted to be engaged by sliding brackets, Figs. 9 and 10, for supporting the braces of the upper frame. Then on the inner sides of the ladder I provide lengthwise channels (L in the inner edges of which are cavities, pockets, or recesses at at intervals apart, relatively as shown in Fig. 12, and disposed between the rounds 0. thereof and set at an inclination and of a suitable depth to be engaged by the dogs (Z, which support the scaffold-platform frame D, as hereinafter fully described.

The partD is referred to herein as the platform or scaffold in contradistinction of the brace or supporting-frame 0. (Shown enlarged in Figs. 8 and 9 and at the top of the ladder, Fig. 1.) A distinction occurs also in use, because the upper part 0 is chiefly employed as a rest for the ladder against the building and to hold the ladder apart from the building a suitable distance, so as to give room for a conveniently-large platform or scalfoldingD beneath. However, I may also use the frame G above as a working-scaflold frame and need simply to put boards or planks thereon for such purpose.

Both said frames 0 and D are likewise adjustable in respect to the ladder, so that they may be brought to a horizontal position at whatever inclination the ladder may be set to the building as well as be raised and lowered, as will appear in a further description thereof.

Referring new again to frame D, it will be seen that said frame is supported directly by a set of vertically-adjustable braces 01, which engage the platform pivotally beneath and well toward the front thereof, Fig. l, and are supported below upon the vertically-sliding platform-supporting frame E, Fig. 11, the sides of which are substantially L-shaped and run in the channels or grooves a in the inner sides of the ladder. The said frame E is provided with a set of suitably-constructed metallic shells or casings 2, set therein on each side and fashioned with recesses 3 to pivotally receive the dogs for supporting the platform, as hereinbefore described, and which are adapted to make locking engagement in the pockets or cavities a as seen in Fig. 12. The said dogs (1 are, furthermore, shown as having elongated slots in their inner and upper extremities through which they are supported in their casing on pivot-pins 4, and they are further provided with springs 5, which normally and continually press said dogs outward to engaging position. The slots for pins 4 are purposely made long and free for said pivots, so that when the dogs are in working position the entire weight rests thereon against the sockets in the casings and does not come on the pivot-pins at all. Said pins serve, therefore, chiefly to hold the dogs from dropping out of their places. In this way I get the entire strength of the dogs and their metallic socket for supporting the platform, and this makes an exceedingly strong and safe construction in which the dogs always automatically take engaging position and from which they cannot possibly be disengaged but by raising the platform by the means provided for this purpose. This insures perfect safety to the platform on which the worker stands; but disengagement can be effected by the operator at his will by raising the platform so as to draw the dogs into channels a and then looking them back by means of the bolts 6, Fig.

11, one for each dog, and which are controlled by a spring-pressed foot-pressed rod '7, available to the operator at its top and actuating a pivoted substantially T-shaped lever 8, to the outer extremities of which the said bolts 6 are respectively connected.

Aspring 9 on rod 7 bears upon one of the cross-bars of frame E and normally holds the said bolts out of engagement with said dogs, so that said bolts never do engage the dogs except when the dogs are to be held back for lowering the platform. To do this, the platform must be raised sufficiently to cause the dogs to swing into the recesses 3 of their casings. Pressure of the foot upon the rod 7 will then throw the bolts outward into engagement with holes or cavities 10 in the dogs, and thus hold them out, and thereby enable the operator to lower the platform as far as he may want to go; but the instant he removes his foot from rod 7 the bolts 6 are automatically withdrawn by the action of spring 9 and the dogs are released and under the action of their own springs make engagement with the first set of cavities a they come to in the ladder. v

The platform D is pivoted on its braces 01' and has its own adjusting mechanism at the rear by which the plane thereof is controlled to bring it to a horizontal position at any inclination of the ladder. To this end I affix a suitable bracket 12 to the inside of the sliding frame E, 3 and 4:, in which I have a series of holes 13 at dilferent elevations, and provide the platform at each side with brackets G of T shape, which engage in the brackets 12. These are provided each with a spring-pressed bolt 15 to lock in the holes 13 when the platform is in working position, as in Fig. Obviously this particular construction for supporting frame D or any equivalent thereof may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The frame (3 for the upper part of the ladder has a construction peculiar to itself, and comprises, primarily, a set of yokes H, one for each side of the ladder and fastened thereto by thumb-screws h, so as to fix the said brackets firmly in any adjusted position.

The frame 0 is itself engaged upon brackets H by means of metallic extensions 16, pivoted on headed studs 17 on brackets H, and provided with keepers 18 on said extensions which overlap the extremities of the yokes H and confine said parts in pivotal relations. This gives a pivotal support at each side for frame 0 on brackets H, and the said frame is further supported from below by inclined braces J, one at each side, running well to the outer portion of said frame and adjustably engaged at their lower ends upon the ladder by brackets L, slidable in the grooves a, hereinbefore described. Said brackets are connected with the brackets H above by rods 20 and threaded link extensions 21 thereon passing through the front of brackets H and provided with thumb-screws 2 over said brackets, whereby the brackets L are raised and lowered and the plane of frame 0 is fixed.

The braces'Jare pivoted to the under side of the frame G and are shown here as tubular and seated upon projections 23 on brackets L, whereon they are secured by suitable springs 24. This also affords a convenient folding or knockdown construction.

Preferably I place spurs 24 on the inner extremities of frame 0 to engage in the side of the building to prevent sliding or slipping thereof laterally.

Finally, as a means of raising and lowering the working platform and the parts connected therewith I provide a pulley-and-rope mechanism N, which may have one or more.

sheaves and is attached to the top of the ladder and connected with sliding frame E, which supports the platform. Said frame slides in channels a and said channels are extended in the supplemental frame 25 beneath, which has angle-iron corners, Fig. 7, open to the front, and whereby frame E can be lowered to the ground and removed from slots a if brought down low enough. The ladder flares at its lower end, as shown, and is provided with braces M, set at more or less outward-spreading inclination, so as to better sustain the ladder in upright position. To this end the ladder has an angle-piece 0 set into its edge lengthwise at each side, Fig. 6, some distance above its lower extremity, as shown, and the said pieces have each inwardly-turned flanges m along their front and a series of holes 0 or their equivalent centrally behind to be engaged by said braces or legs at one or another elevation, as may be found best. The said braces are loosely connected with sliding parts P, engaged within flanges m of the angle-pieces O, and carry spring-pressed pawls m, adapted to engage and lock in the holes 0. In lieu of a pawl I might use a bolt, and all the details of these smaller parts might be varied with equivalent means and keep within my invention.

All the parts of this structure are built with the idea of separation or folding when not used, and the element of safety in use is especially provided for, as described.

It will be noticed in Figs. 13 and 14 that while frame E lies between the sides of the ladder and runs in channels a therein the metallic casings or shells carrying dogs 61 and the cavities or recesses a for the dogs are still farther inward in the sides of the ladder. Obviously, therefore, the dogs are confined on both sides and are further held in place by their pivot-pins.

The frame-supporting dogs (1 being set into inclined recesses, as shown, the more weight that comes on them the tighter they are engaged, and they can only be disengaged so as to possibly lower the working platform by using the rope and pulley to bodily raise the platform for that purpose.

What I claim is 1. The ladder and a frame slidably engaged thereon, in combination with a platformframe pivotally supported on said frame and means on the inner edge of the platformframe for fixing the relative elevations thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. The ladder provided with a series of cavities on each side, in combination with the platform andits supports and a slidable frame on said ladder having sockets, and dogs loosely pivoted in said sockets whereby the said dogs sustain all the Weight against said sockets, substantially as set forth.

3. The ladder and the supporting-frame slidable thereon and provided with sockets,

and dogs independently pivoted in said sockets at its sides outside of the body of the said frame, in combination with the ladder having channels with recesses in the sides thereof to be engaged by said dogs, substantially as set forth.

4.. The ladder having channels inside and the sliding frame having projections at its side engaged in said channels and provided with a socket at each side, in combination with a dog pivoted in each socket in position to bear against the top of the socket and take the load, and inclined recesses in the sides of said channels to receive said dogs, substantially as set forth.

5. The ladder having channels and recessed in its sides; and a sliding frame having independent dogs at each side confined within said channels and adapted to rest in said recesses, in combination with the platform pivotally supported on said sliding frame, and means to raise said frame and platform, substantially as described.

6. The ladder and the brace-frame adjustably secured to its top inclined braces for said frame, and means to adjust said braces at their lower ends connected with the supports for the rear of said frame, whereby the plane of the said frame may be changed, substantially as described.

7. The ladder and the brace-frame at the top thereof, yokes on the ladder on which said frame is pivoted, inclined braces for said frame and mechanism connected with the lower ends of the braces and adjustably supported from said yokes, substantially as set forth.

8. The ladder and side braces therefor at its lower end, said mechanism consisting of angle-pieces on the ladder and adjustable engaging parts on said braces, substantially as set forth.

9. The ladder havinga flared lower end and channels lengthwise on its inner sides and an extension of said channels fixed to the ladder, in combination with a slidable platform-supporting frame engaged in said channels and adapted to run down into said extension, substantially as set forth.

10. A ladder having inclined recesses at intervals in its sides, and a slidably-supported frame thereon having sockets at its sides opposite said recesses, and an independent support in each socket engaging in said recesses, said socket and supports being constructed to rest all the weight directly upon the ends of said supports, substantially as set forth.

11. A ladder having on each side a series of inclined recesses, a frame slidably supported thereon and having inclined sockets at its sides opposite said recesses and a separate support in each socket bearing directly against the top thereof and resting in one of said recesses at the other end, substantially as set forth.

12. The ladder having channels lengthwise IIO inside, and a series of inclined recesses on one side of each channel, a frame slidably engaged in said channels and having an inclined socket portion opposite said recesses, separate loosely-pivoted supports in said sockets engaged in corresponding recesses and sustaining the weight of said frame directly upon its ends, and means to raise said frame, and

thus disengage said supports, substantially as set forth. 1o

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 21st day of July, 1902.

MARTIN BAUER. Witnesses:

R. B. MosER, H. T. FISHER. 

